Cabinet assembly



J. M. M CABE CABINET ASSEMBLY March 5, 1968 Filed April 5, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

BY z a/v'r ffar/er March 5, 1968 J. M. M CABE 3,371,977

CABINET ASSEMBLY Filed April 5, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 -4/- g l 4; v l g L lg l 42 INVENTOR.

March 5, 1968 J. M. M CABE 3,371,977

CABINET ASSEMBLY Filed April 5, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 United States Patent Of 3,371,977 CABINET ASSEMBLY James M. McCabe, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Coe Laboratories, Inc., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed Apr. 5, 1965, Ser. N 0. 445,627 Claims. (Cl. 312-257) This invention relates to cabinet assemblies and has particular relation to the provision of standard elements usable in the construction of a variety of cabinet structures.

In the construction of undercounter cabinet assemblies it has been conventional to custom-make such assemblies at the point of manufacture to fit a particular installation, such as a dental laboratory or the like, to then disassemble and ship such assembly for reassembly by experienced crews at the point of use. Such procedure results in substantial expense in providing suflicient trained installation crews and in individual design and construction of the cabinet assembly. Accordingly, it is one purpose of the invention to provide a number of cabinet elements which may be of standardized construction and which may be easily and simply erected by the user at the point of use.

Another purpose of the invention is to provide basic cabinet elements which may be used to form open cabinets having doors thereon, shelved cabinets having doors thereon and cabinets having a plurality of drawers therein.

Another purpose is to provide cabinet-forming elements of such economy in manufacture and use as to permit the economic employment of costly materials.

Another purpose is to provide cabinet elements usable in forming a variety of cabinet designs.

Another purpose is to provide modular cabinet-forming elements.

Another purpose is to provide cabinet-forming elements of maximum economy and compactness in shipment.

Other purposes will appear from time to time during the course of the specification and claims.

The invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a cabinet structure;

FIGURE 2 is an exploded perspective view on an enlarged scale;

FIGURE 3 is a view taken on the line 3-3 of FIG- URE 2 on a still larger scale;

FIGURE 4 is a rear view of a forward cabinet frame element;

FIGURE 5 is a .5-5 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 6 is a rear view of a door element;

FIGURE 7 is a view taken on the line 7-7 of FIG- URE 6;

FIGURE 8 is a perspective View of an end side frame element; and

FIGURE 9 is a side elevation of a drawer-supporting panel.

Like parts are indicated by like numerals throughout the specification and drawings.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIGURE 1, there is shown a cabinet structure of the type involved herein and including a counter top A, a rear superstructure B and an undercounter cabinet structure or assembly C with which the present invention is primarily concerned, all supported on a sub-base D.

. Referring to FIGURES 2 and 3, it will be observed that numeral 1 generally designates a base. The base 1 is generally rectilinear in planar configuration having an upper surface 2 bounded by side walls 3, 4 and rear end wall 5. The side walls 3, 4 and 5 have portions 3a, 4a

partial detail view taken on the line 3,371,977 Patented Mar. 5, 1968 and 5a, respectively, turned inwardly in parallel relation ship with the upper surface 2 and in spaced relation therewith. Upstanding from the side walls 3, 4 are support bracket 6. The wall 3 has two said brackets 6 secured to and upstanding therefrom adjacent its opposite ends. Similarly, the wall 4 has an identical set of brackets 6 similarly positioned thereon and upstanding in aligned, parallel relationship with the brackets 6 on wall 3. Each bracket 6 has a pair of spaced apertures 7 formed therein, the apertures 7 in aligned brackets 6 on walls 3 and 4 being aligned with each other.

A forward frame structure 9 is shown to include a pair of spaced, vertical side walls 10, 11. The side walls 10, 11 each has a pair of spaced apertures 12 formed therein and adjacent the bottom edge thereof, the apertures 12 being alignable with the apertures 7 of brackets 6 on walls 3 and 4 adjacent forward wall 5 of base 1. The side walls 10, 11 also have apertures 13 spaced along and adjacent their rear edges for attachment as appears herein'below. Apertures 14 are spaced along and adjacent the forward edge of side walls 10 and 11 for attachment as will also appear more fully hereinbelow. The side walls 10, 11 include inwardly directed flanges 10a, 11a, rerespectively, turned at the forward edges thereof. The flanges 10a, 11a in turn have portions 111b, 11b extending rearwardly in parallel relationship with walls 10, 11 for a limited distance. Flanges 10c, 11c are inwardly directed and lie in a plane paralleling the plane occupied by flanges ltla, Ila. The flanges 10a, 10b, 10c and 11a, 11b, 11c, extending the full length of walls It and 11, respectively, constitute spaced, parallel, upright frames for a door described hereinbelow. As seen best in FIG- URE 4, within the upright formed by the end portion of wall 10 and flanges 10a, 1%, 10d hinge support structures 15 are vertically spaced. A bottom frame wall 16 extends between the walls 11 11 and includes a downturned front frame portion 17 abutting the opposed rear surface of inturned door jamb flanges 10c, 11c. A top cross wall portion 13 has a downturned forward wall portion 19 abutting the opposed rear surface of inturned door jarnb flanges 10c, 11c and member 18 extends between walls 10, 11. Member 18 has a plurality of spaced openings 20 arranged in aligned, spaced relationship with front wall portion 19, the apertures 20 being provided for securement to the underside of a suitable counter top, such as that shown at A in FIGURE 1. It will be observed that the rear edges of bottom wall frame portion 16 and top wall frame portion 18 lie in the plane of the rear edges of side walls 10, 11.

The numeral 25 designates a rear or back frame member. The member 25 includes a pair of spaced, upright corner segments 26, 27, each respectively L-shaped in cross section and including side portions 261:, 27a and rear portions 26b, 27b. Each of the side strips 26a, 27a has formed therein a pair of apertures 28: alignable with the apertures in brackets 6 adjacent the rear edge of base 1. A plurality of spaced, aligned apertures 29 are arranged on the side strips 26a, 27a paralleling and adjacent the forward edge thereof. A rear, top, cross member 30 extends between the upper ends of corner segments 26, 27 and includes a plurality of spaced apertures 31, for attachment to the underside of a counter top such as that shown at A, and a downwardly disposed portion 30a. A forwardly extending, downwardly spaced flange 32 of reduced length is integral with the cross member'30. A bottom cross frame wall 33 extends between the lower ends of members 26, 27 and has an upstanding portion 34. The spaced, opposed edges of portions 26b, 27b and 30a, 34 define an opening closed by a plate 35 having a deflected portion 35a and a hook portion 35b for mating with a hook conformation 30b on cross portion 30a.

A door 40 includes an unbroken outer surface 41, apertured as at 4-2 to provide for attachment of a handle. A peripheral wall 43 joins the surface 41. A strengthening rib member 44 is secured to the rear face of surface 41 and a second, generally U-shaped element 45 is similarly secured to said rear face. The element 45 is apertured as at 46 to provide for attachment of an inner door catch. Similarly, the rib element 44 is apertured as indicated at 47 to provide for attachment of suitable hinges adjacent one longitudinal edge of the door 40.

A finish end panel is indicated at the numeral 50. The end panel 50 has, as perhaps best seen at 51 in FIGURE 1, an unbroken, smooth outer surface. The lower edge of the panel portion 51 is bent laterally therefrom to form an inwardly directed flange 52. The side edges of surface 51 are similarly bent laterally therefrom but said side edges include extensions 53, 54 bent inwardly from said side edges and lying in a plane paralleling that of surface 51. Spaced along and adjacent the inner edge of portion 53 are apertures 55 positioned for alignment with apertures 14 of the forward frame member 9. Similarly, apertures 56 are spaced along and aligned in a plane paralleling that of the inner edge of portion 54. The apertures 56 are positioned for alignment with a corresponding number of the apertures 29 in the rear frame member 25.

A side or intermediate panel is generally indicated by the numeral 66. The side panel 60 has an outer surface 61. Along the bottom edge of the surface 61 an inwardly turned, laterally disposed flange 62 extends. The upper edge of surface 61 is inwardly recessed at its opposite ends as indicated at 63. Between the recesses 63 the upper edge of surface 61 has an inward, laterally disposed upper flange 64 in which a suitable aperture, such as that shown at 65, is formed to provide for attachment to the underside of a suitable counter top such as that shown at A. Apertures 66 and 67 are spacedly positioned along and adjacent the opposite longitudinal edges of surface 61 and aligned in a plane paralleling said edges. The holes or apertures 67, for example, are alignable with a corresponding set of apertures 29 in the side strip 27a of the back frame 25 illustrated, for example, in FIGURE 2 and the openings 66 are alignable with the openings 13 in the side portion 11 of the forward frame member 9. The lowermost apertures 66, 67 may, for example, also align with corresponding apertures 12, 28 and 7.

Whereas there has been shown and described an operative form of the invention, it should be understood that this showing and description are to be taken in an illustrative or diagrammatic sense only. There are many modifications in and to the invention which will be apparent to those skilled in the art and which will fall within the scope and spirit of the invention.

The use and operation of the invention are as follows:

The purchaser of the invention, having informed the supplier of the particular dimensions and style of the desired cabinet assembly, the supplier will select from the modular elements above described the suitable size, dimensions and number of such elements and will ship them to the buyer. It will be observed that all of the elements of the invention are generally rectilinear and limited in thickness, thus lending themselves to ease of packing and shipment.

Upon receipt, the buyer places a base 1 with the surface 2 uppermost. Thereafter the front and rear frames 9 and 25 are placed at the forward and rear ends of the base 1, aligning the apertures 12 of the forward frame member with the apertures 7 in the forward brackets 6 uprising from base 1 and aligning the apertures 28 of rear frame 25 with the corresponding apertures in the brackets 6 adjacent the rear of base 1. If the particular cabinet under construction is to have a door closure for the open center of the forward frame and if said cabinet is an intermediate cabinet in a series of cabinets, it will be understood that only said forward and rear vertical frames need be secured to the base 1. A door, such as that shown 4 in FIGURES 6 and 7, may then simply be placed in the forward frame and secured to hinge elements 15 and a suitable counter top may be secured to apertures 20 and 31 of the forward and rear vertical frames, respectively.

If, on the other hand, it is desired that the cabinet or cabinet segment should be closed at its sides, side panels, such as the panel 60, will be secured to the forward and rear vertical panels, the apertures being aligned as above described. Similarly, it will be understood that side panels, corresponding substantially to the panel 60, may be supplied for similar attachment to the vertical forward and rear frames, said side panels having, however, shelf supports (not shown) formed on their inner surfaces and shelves may be thereby placed in said supports and positioned within the cabinet so constructed.

Similarly, as indicated at 70 in FIGURE 9, side panels corresponding generally to the panel 60 but including inwardly positioned drawer-supporting elements, such as rollers and the like, may be substituted for the frame panel 60, the drawer-supporting elements extending inwardly into the cabinet so constructed a distance sufiicient to extend beyond the flanges 10c, 11c whereby a drawer carrying conventional rails may engage said rails with said drawer supports or rollers, the escutcheon forward wall of the drawer abutting the flanges 10c, when the drawer is in closed position. It will be realized that the number of drawers so supported may vary in relation to the depth thereof but that a plurality of such drawers may thus be supported within the cabinet and within the forward frame 9 sufficient to replace a door therein, as shown, for example, in FIGURE 1.

The rear frame 25 has a central opening for passage therethrough of suitable plumbing, electrical conduit or the like when the counter top A is intended to contain a sink or electrically operated equipment. In such event, the closure 35 may simply be removed. In the absence of the need for such passage of pipe, conduit or the like, the closure 35 is effective to provide, with the wall portions 26b, 27b, 30a and 34, a complete rear closure for the cabinet. It will be understood that a plurality of cabinets so constructed may be secured in abutting contact, when desired, by the employment of fasteners of a length suflicient to extend through the aligned apertures in abutting forward and rear frames.

When a cabinet constructed of the inventive elements herein is intended to be an end cabinet and to have its end side exposed, there is provided an attractive end side panel 50. Said side panel is secured from within the vertical forward and rear frames 9, 25 and presents a completely unbroken smooth surface 51 across the entire side or end of the cabinet.

There is claimed:

1. For use in forming undercounter cabinets, a generally rectilinear base formed of sheet metal and having a relatively flat upper surface, a plurality of brackets spacedly upstanding from said surface, a forward frame member formed of sheet metal and slidable along and about a forward portion of said base and having spaced vertical strips overlying some of said brackets, a rear frame member formed of sheet metal and slidable along and about a rear portion of said base and having spaced vertical strips overlying others of said brackets, said strips and brackets having apertures alignable when said strips are in position on said base, each of said vertical strips being of substantial greater width than thickness, each of said frame members including upper and lower horizontal strips joining said vertical strips, the vertical strips of said forward frame member extending forwardly of its horizontal strips to form a door frame.

2. For use in forming undercounter cabinets, a generally rectilinear base formed of sheet metal and having a relatively flat upper surface, a plurality of brackets spacedly upstanding from said surface, a forward frame member formed of sheet metal and slidable along and about a forward portion of said base and having spaced vertical strips overlying some of said brackets, a rear frame member formed of sheet metal and slidable along and about a rear portion of said base and having spaced vertical strips overlying others of said brackets, said strips and brackets having apertures alignable when said strips are in position on said base, said forward and rear frame members each having an upper cross member apertured to receive counter-fastening members and a lower cross member, the vertical strips of said forward frame member extending forwardly beyond the upper and lower cross members of said forward frame member to form a door support and door jamb.

3. For use in forming undercounter cabinets, a gen erally rectilinear base formed of sheet metal and having a relatively flat upper surface, a plurality of brackets spacedly upstanding from said surface, a forward frame member formed of sheet metal and slidable along and about a forward portion of said base and having spaced vertical strips overlying some of said brackets, a rear frame member formed of sheet metal and slidable along and about a rear portion of said base and having spaced vertical strips overlying others of said brackets, said strips and brackets having apertures alignable when said strips are in position on said base, and side panel members, said side panel members and said vertical strips having apertures alignable when said strips are in position on said base and said side panel members are in position on said strips, each of said vertical strips being of substantial greater width than thickness, each of said frame members including upper and lower horizontal strips joining said vertical strips, the vertical strips of said forward frame member extending forwardly of its horizontal strips to form a door frame.

4. For use in forming undercounter cabinets, a generally rectilinear base formed of sheet metal and having a relatively flat upper surface, a plurality of brackets spacedly upstanding from said surface, a forward frame member formed of sheet metal and slidable along and about a forward portion of said base and having spaced vertical strips overlying some of said brackets, a rear frame member formed of sheet metal and slidable along and about a rear portion of said base and having spaced vertical strips overlying others of said brackets, said strips and brackets having apertures alignable when said strips are in position on said base, said forward frame member vertical strips extending forwardly of the remainder of said forward frame member to form a door jamb and hinge structure.

5. For use in forming undercounter cabinets, a generally rectilinear base formed of sheet metal and having a relatively fiat upper surface, a plurality of brackets spacedly upstanding from said surface, a forward frame member formed of sheet metal and slidable along and about a forward portion of said base and having spaced vertical strips overlying some of said brackets, a rear frame member formed of sheet metal and slidable along and about a rear portion of said base and having spaced vertical strips overlying others of said brackets, said strips and brackets having apertures alignable when said strips are in position on said base, and drawer-supporting side panels, said side panels and vertical strips having alignable apertures whereby said side panels may be removably secured to and extend between said forward and rear frame members.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,475,079 7/1949 Clouse et al. 312-257 X 2,991,140 7/1961 Anderson et a1. 312-257 3,206,267 9/1965 Gruner et -al 3l2228 FOREIGN PATENTS 871,358 3/1953 Germany.

614,013 12/ 1948 Great Britain.

870,471 6/1961 Great Britain.

568,778 11/ 1957 Italy.

307,275 8/1955 Switzerland.

ROY D. FRAZIER, Primary Examiner. FRANK DOMOTOR, Assistant Examiner. 

1. FOR USE IN FORMING UNDERCOUNTER CABINETS, A GENERALLY RECTILINEAR BASE FORMED OF SHEET METAL AND HAVING A RELATIVELY FLAT UPPER SURFACE, A PLURALITY OF BRACKETS SPACEDLY UPSTANDING FROM SAID SURFACE, A FORWARD FRAME MEMBER FORMED OF SHEET METAL AND SLIDABLE ALONG AND ABOUT A FORWARD PORTION OF SAID BASE AND HAVING SPACED VERTICAL STRIPS OVERLYING SOME OF SAID BRACKETS, A REAR FRAME MEMBER FORMED OF SHEET METAL AND SLIDABLE ALONG AND ABOUT A REAR PORTION OF SAID BASE AND HAVING SPACED VERTICAL STRIPS OVERLYING OTHERS OF SAID BRACKETS, SAID STRIPS AND BRACKETS HAVING APERTURES ALIGNABLE WHEN SAID STRIPS ARE IN POSITION ON SAID BASE, EACH OF SAID VERTICAL STRIPS BEING OF SUBSTANTIAL GREATER WIDTH THAN THICKNESS, EACH OF SAID FRAME MEMBERS INCLUDING UPPER AND LOWER HORIZONTAL STRIPS JOINING SAID VERTICAL STRIPS, THE VERTICAL STRIPS OF SAID FORWARD FRAME MEMBER EXTENDING FORWARDLY OF ITS HORIZONTAL STRIPS TO FORM A DOOR FRAME. 